Background music is no longer an afterthought at many airports, which are hiring local musicians and carefully curating playlists to help .

built a stage to showcase emerging British performers for the first time this summer. The program was so successful the airport hopes to bring it back in 2025. has five stages that host more than 800 performances per year, from country musicians to jazz combos. , Punta Cana International Airport greets passengers with live merengue music.

Tiffany Idiart and her two nieces were delighted to hear musicians during a recent layover at .

香蕉视频直播淚 like it. There香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of people here and they can all hear it,香蕉视频直播� said Grace Idiart, 9. 香蕉视频直播淚f their flight got delayed or something like that, they could have had a hard day. And so the music could have made them feel better.香蕉视频直播�

Airports are also carefully curating their recorded playlists. Detroit Metro Airport plays hits in a tunnel connecting its terminals. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas has a playlist of local artists compiled by an area radio station. Singapore香蕉视频直播檚 Changi Airport commissioned a special piano accompaniment for its giant digital waterfall.

Music isn香蕉视频直播檛 a new phenomenon in airport terminals. 香蕉视频直播淢usic for Airports,香蕉视频直播� an album released in 1978, helped define the ambient music genre. It香蕉视频直播檚 minimalist and designed to calm.

But Barry McPhillips, the head of international creative for Mood Media, which provides music for airports and other public spaces, said technology is enabling to be less generic and more tailored to specific places or times of day.

Mood Media 香蕉视频直播� formerly known as Muzak 香蕉视频直播� develops playlists to appeal to business travelers or families depending on who香蕉视频直播檚 in the airport at any given time. It might program calmer music in the security line but something more energizing in the duty-free store.

香蕉视频直播淲e see it as a soundscape,香蕉视频直播� McPhillips said. 香蕉视频直播淲e design for all of these moments.香蕉视频直播�

There香蕉视频直播檚 a science to Mood Music香蕉视频直播檚 decisions on volume, tempo, even whether to play a song in a major key versus a minor one, he added.

香蕉视频直播淗ow do we want to affect their mood at that moment?香蕉视频直播� McPhillips said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not just like, 香蕉视频直播楬ere香蕉视频直播檚 a load of songs.香蕉视频直播� It香蕉视频直播檚 a load of songs for that 10-minute segment, and then we move to the next 10 minutes.香蕉视频直播�

At the same time, many airports are going low-tech, hiring local musicians to serenade travelers and give them a sense of the place they香蕉视频直播檙e passing through.

Chicago香蕉视频直播檚 O香蕉视频直播橦are and Midway airports have more than 100 live performances each year. Phoenix香蕉视频直播檚 Sky Harbor International Airport began a live music program five years ago and now has two stages featuring local artists.

Tami Kuiken, the manager of airport music in Seattle, said the Seattle-Tacoma airport launched its live music program about a decade ago after a city commissioner heard live music at the airport in .

香蕉视频直播淭he idea was like, 香蕉视频直播橫an, why doesn香蕉视频直播檛 Seattle have music? We香蕉视频直播檙e a music city too,香蕉视频直播� Kuiken said.

At first, the airport created a playlist featuring emerging artists along with famous ones like . Then it decided to try live musicians for a 12-week trial. It was so successful that the airport now features live musicians daily and is building new performance spaces.

香蕉视频直播淧eople香蕉视频直播檚 anxiety levels are very high when they香蕉视频直播檙e traveling,香蕉视频直播� Kuiken said. 香蕉视频直播淭he feedback that we started getting was that once they got through the checkpoint and they were greeted with music, all of a sudden their anxiety and stress levels dropped.香蕉视频直播�

The programs also benefit musicians, who get paid to perform and gain wider exposure. When Colorado Springs Airport announced a live music program in March, more than 150 musicians applied. It now hosts two two-hour performances each week.

David James, a singer and guitarist who plays at Seattle香蕉视频直播檚 airport about once a week, said waking up in time for a daytime gig took some adjustment. But he香蕉视频直播檚 gained new fans from all over the world.

香蕉视频直播淚 get really sweet responses from people all the time, saying, 香蕉视频直播楾hat was so soothing to be able to just sit and listen to music in between flights,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� James said. 香蕉视频直播淪o it feels like it香蕉视频直播檚 especially therapeutic for people.香蕉视频直播�

Country stars like and have come through Nashville香蕉视频直播檚 airport and interacted with local musicians, said Stacey Nickens, the airport香蕉视频直播檚 vice president of corporate communications and marketing. Shelton even gave one his guitar.

Otto Stuparitz, a musicologist and lecturer at the University of Amsterdam who has studied airport music, said airports should think carefully about their selections. Music that香蕉视频直播檚 meant to be actively listened to 香蕉视频直播� like live music or catchy pop songs 香蕉视频直播� can be very distracting in an already chaotic environment, he said. He has noticed some airports 香蕉视频直播� especially in Europe 香蕉视频直播� turning off piped melodies altogether.

But McPhillips said big spaces like airports can feel cold and unwelcoming without background music.

香蕉视频直播淎 well-crafted audio strategy is one that people aren香蕉视频直播檛 particularly cognizant of,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hey just know they香蕉视频直播檙e having a good time and that it香蕉视频直播檚 appropriate.香蕉视频直播�